


Open Sesame

by DterminD



Series: The Crystal Collection [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Adorkable, Affection, Allagan Technology, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Carrying, Coffee, Cooking, Crystal Tower (Final Fantasy XIV), Culinarian Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Emotional Sex, Espresso con Panna, Eventual Sex, Feels, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Gay Sex, Happy Sex, Headcanon, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sex, Introspection, Kissing, Loud Sex, Lust, M/M, Making Love, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Married Sex, Masturbation Interruptus, Men Crying, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Orgasm, POV First Person, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers, Red Mage Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Requited Love, Romance, Slow Build, Specific Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Standing Blow Jobs, Suspended Animation Pod Sex, Tags Contain Spoilers, Teasing, crystal tower spoilers, doors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26419633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DterminD/pseuds/DterminD
Summary: Open Sesametakes place after the events of patch 5.3, and focuses on Raphail Somnalune, Warrior of Darkness, as he journeys deep into the Crystal Tower to find G’raha Tia and awaken him from his long slumber.Ever since he first met G’raha Tia, Raphail knew he would be in for a grand adventure -- but he could never have guessed that it would take two stars, several lifetimes, and the sacrifice of the one he loved most in order to see it through. With Norvrandt at peace and G’raha’s soul (quite literally) in his hands, the adventure he wanted most lies before him. And this time, no door on any star is going to stop him from fulfilling G’raha’s most beautiful dream.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: The Crystal Collection [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819948
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Open Sesame

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILER WARNING: _Open Sesame_ contains spoilers for the _Shadowbringers_ expansion and Patch 5.3. Please complete the main story quest "Reflections in Crystal" before reading. The identity of the Crystal Exarch is revealed.
> 
> CONTINUITY WARNING: Events from [_Memoirs of a Miqo’te_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25123735/chapters/60870622) and previous stories in _The Crystal Collection_ are mentioned. Reading the previous _Crystal Collection_ stories first will help explain many of the specific references and in-jokes. Readers that aren’t familiar with _Memoirs_ can still enjoy the story, but references to Raphail-specific subjects may feel out of place or unexplained. In particular, both Raphail and the Exarch refer to Raphail by his birth name, Raph’ir Sahra.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING: This story features adult content intended for ages 18+. The tone stays romantic/euphemistic and explicit language is not used, but one detailed sex scene is included in full. Please use this information to help make an informed decision about your comfort level. Other, less explicit stories in _The Crystal Collection_ may be more to your liking if you have concerns or objections.

“There comes a time in a man's life when, to get where he has to go — if there are no doors or windows — he walks through a wall.”  
—Bernard Malamud

The towering golden door in front of me split the Syrcus Trench and the purple Mor Dhona sky in half, bidding the Crystal Tower’s visitors a rude unwelcome even after several years of silent repose. I shoved my hands into my pockets, narrowing my eyes out of old habit as the afternoon breeze did its level best to block the sight with my own mop of unruly hair.

 _Ah, memories. It feels like forever since the last time I stood here, waiting for a miracle that I thought would never come. Did you hear me curse the names of the Twelve with every breath in my lungs, back then? Maybe_ they _heard me, for all I know. That would be a first. And yet, stranger things have happened, I suppose. Most of them at_ your _hands, too._

 _Raha. I should have known you’d make it this far, somehow. As if_ anyone _has_ ever _held you back from making your dreams a reality. You said you learned_ that _from me. And if that’s what you see in me… then I’ll face whatever I must to make sure that I live up to it._

His precious spirit vessel, nestled in the safest inner pocket of my crimson jacket, brushed against my searching fingers, somehow reassuring me with its strong, solid form alone. Bringing it out into the sunlight, I ignored my shaking hands and focused instead on the way that each facet of its crystal surface refracted the light around me in new and unique ways. His crystal arm had done so, too, of course — but I’d had plenty of time to get used to that.

As expected, the strange, ethereal glow that indicated his invisible presence was still radiant within his vessel, much as his smile had been during his final moments in the First.

In answer to that careless thought, an unbidden memory of my recent attendance at Xande’s infernal court flooded my mind; a perfect, searing recollection of clutching Raha’s last hope to my chest in silence like a lost child’s toy as the Scions arrived to bear witness to the Warrior of Light’s end. I’d barely even noticed when they’d entered the room.

None of them had spoken a word to me until later, for a mercy. Anything but the sound of my own heart breaking against the twin crushing weights of Elidibus’ unfair, unnecessary fall and Raha’s proud, tender farewell would have ended me where I stood. Since then, I’d forced myself to put one foot in front of the other, seeking to make sure that every onze of his sacrifice was worth the cost — but the empty place at my side ached as much as any open wound, even knowing there was yet a strong chance that he would wake again.

There was also a strong chance that he _wouldn’t_.

My hand tightened around his spirit vessel as I closed my eyes.

_The Scions made it back safely, of course. I knew you’d make sure of that. But even Thancred didn’t spend an entire century in Norvrandt. Beq Lugg was clear about the risks in your situation. I… can’t imagine what this will be like for you, much less for the boy that’s been asleep all this time. But you said you had a plan. You begged me to trust in you. And you promised we’d see each other again. You would never leave me alone here without you. Not this time._

_This plan is insane, Raha._ You _are insane. But I know you won’t let me down. This is what you’ve wanted all along. And I have a selfish wish of my own, too. We’ve made it this far together, and I want the chance to look into those beautiful eyes of yours and tell you so with my own words, in my own voice. I haven’t told you enough how much I love you yet._

As I opened my eyes again, the light in Raha’s vessel seemed to shine a little brighter, flickering against the tall shadow of his Tower. Perhaps it was only circumstance, but as desperate as I was for reassurance, I wanted to believe he’d done it on purpose, and so I did. Gritting my teeth, I fought back the urge to break down, twisting it instead into a wicked, careless grin. Only arguing with him, even in jest, had ever managed to calm me so completely.

 _Heh. Listening, are you? Not all these thoughts about you are pretty, y’know. If you think, for one bell, that you’re getting out of this without a lecture, you don’t know me as well as I thought. I don’t care if using your own_ blood _without telling me_ worked _. And I don’t care if I’d do the same thing. I said_ nothing _because there was no other way, but that’s no excuse and you_ know _it._

The silence around me didn’t answer, of course, but the crystal’s flash seemed to speak volumes; I knew the sullen pout that never failed to make me smile _anywhere_.

It was enough to settle my frantic mind, if only for the moment. _When_ , not _if_ , his ultimate plan succeeded, there would be a lifetime left to make him pay for how precious he’d become to me; how necessary his presence had grown when it came to my happiness. Until then, naught remained but forward motion and prayer — and the foolish, impossible hope that he’d placed in me, back when the Crystal Tower was little more than a voidsent-haunted relic of some forgotten past best left buried in the sand. That hadn’t changed; it had only grown with time.

Tearing my gaze from the vessel in my hands, I refocused my attention on the door in front of me. More than Gaius and Garlemald, it was in many respects my truest and oldest enemy, still unbroken despite my countless efforts over the years to thwart it by any means possible. Short of stealing Ishgard’s patented aetheromatic auger, I’d exhausted all of my options.

In my heart of hearts, I’d somehow never imagined there would be a _key_ — least of all one that I’d find myself holding. Or marrying. Or fucking.

_What an adventure this has been. But now it’s time to start a new one. And for that door to close… this one has to open. I hope you’re ready to wake up, old man. Or… should I call you kid, now? You always did make me think you were younger than your age. It’s going to be so weird, hearing you talk like an old man out of that always-open mouth of yours._

_But don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to remind you of what it’s like to be young, even if I guess I’m the old man between us now. It’s a good thing we were close in age before you fell asleep. Not all of us had generations of beauty sleep, y’know._

Taking hold of all the courage I could muster, I twisted my face into my best imitation of the foolish grin that he had worn countless times in defiance of fate — and held his shining vessel out toward the door in a steady, deliberate motion that felt like it belonged to someone else.

_Well then. Time to open sesame, you son of a bitch._

A fraction of a bell passed in silence, just long enough for my lungs to remind me that I’d forgotten to breathe. And then, as I had once before with Unei, Doga, Cid, Nero, and Raha by my side, I watched the azure glow of the Tower’s might wind its way up and into the door’s ornate designs, filling the empty spaces with light for the first time since Raha laid it to rest.

As the twin halves of the door parted, opening onto the Syrcus Tower’s endless series of staircases, my foolish, impossible hope transformed into absolute _certainty_.

_Raha. It won’t be long now. Just a little farther, and you’ll be in my arms again instead of this old pocket of mine. And this time, I won’t have to think twice about where I grab you._

The stairs that I’d so often cursed lay before me, beckoning me forward, and everything inside me gave into the urge to obey — one last time. One step became two, and two became many, as I slid Raha’s spirit vessel back into my pocket for safety and started to run. Even the recent memory of watching him collapse upon those same stairs, still determined to stand between me and disaster to the bitter end, was not enough to break my stride.

All of it was what he’d chosen in pursuit of the path that our feet had walked together. The crystalline statue in his likeness that I’d left behind in the First proved that much. And to honor that choice, I would proudly shepherd him into the future he’d written for himself.

_I’ll make your dream come true. So open your eyes for me, sunshine._

_I’ll be waiting._

* * *

It took me longer than I cared to admit to find him.

Simply being _in possession_ of the blood of Allagan royalty did nothing to inform my knowledge of _where_ he’d fallen asleep; his familiarity with the customs of old Allag was his domain alone. And yet, the memory of the glowing orb at the back of the Umbilicus had never left my mind. When I’d lost him to Emet-Selch and Amaurot, the Echo had invaded my consciousness at the mere sight of it; I’d taken it as proof of his claim that he’d melded his own body with the Tower. What _else_ it could do was a question I’d been too afraid to ask.

It was something of a surprise when the Umbilicus door responded to Raha’s spirit vessel as readily as the door of the Tower itself had. As it parted before me, vessel in hand, I couldn’t have held back the urge to grin if my life depended on it. Reclaiming all the lost time I’d spent _waiting_ in front of ornate golden doors over the last five years would have left me his age or younger for the second time in my life! But gloating brought me no closer to the sound of his soft voice in my ears. I bid it farewell in search of the higher purpose that I’d come for.

The azure orb sat at the back of his private sanctum, the same as it had in Norvrandt. A mechanical hum too soft and quiet for Hyuran ears to parse filled the silence in the empty spaces between piles of books. Evidently he’d had enough forethought to pack a few essentials _before_ shutting the door and going to sleep, though most of the book jackets around me did _not_ feature my name or face. His insatiable desire for tales of the so-called Warrior of Light must have grown after my death; after he’d devoted himself entirely to saving me from ruin.

 _I couldn’t bear to read them in the First. I can_ still _barely stand to read about the things I’ve done in_ this _day and age. I used to think nobody could ever understand how fragile the tales in those pages were, and how close I always came to disaster even for the ones with happy endings. If they knew, they’d hate me. They’d see me for the fraud that I was. But… then there was you. In spite of it all, you saw the best in me. For you, it was enough that I tried._

_That said… would it have killed you to pack a bed? Or a chair? Please tell me you didn’t just sit on the floor for a hundred years. You must know by now that the only reason I didn’t find my way beneath that robe of yours when I first told you I loved you was out of respect for your comfort. I’m starting to think you would have preferred the cold, hard marble instead._

Further study of his tomes in the current time might have told me much and more about the life he’d lived before me — but hearing it from his own lips would carry more weight. I left the pages where they lay and stepped toward the orb, my wary gaze locked onto its smooth surface.

It didn’t take a genius to guess that the strange device might serve as a control mechanism for the Tower itself. Though the stairs I’d climbed had been taxing, even for a Warrior of Light — and Darkness — it was the sudden _potential_ at hand that required me to pause for breath. In the absence of Cid, others had otten turned to my experience as an adventurer for guidance in matters of strange technology — but the truth was that I’d never been at home with them. The art of a swift kick and a lucky button press had gotten me far enough to pass for an educated man.

I’d hoped to ask Raha to teach me more, once upon a time.

 _Nero must have had balls of brass._ I’m _not the one that should be doing this. It’s your birthright… your blood that belongs here. Surely the Tower knows. Surely there’s some reason it won’t allow this. What if I access something that I shouldn’t? How much control do I have, and how much does it expect? Is it like a Garlean machine, responding only to the commands I give? Or is some part of it… alive? Ryne had to direct Eden’s steps, but I’m no Oracle. I’m only—_

Perhaps it was the indignant flash of the vessel in my hand, or perhaps it was one of the earliest signs that my mind and habits were starting to reject the old instinct to make light of my own achievements — but the thought stood out to me as fundamentally flawed as soon as it came.

 _No. I_ was _only a boy that grew up in a cave. I’ve gone on to save two worlds at once by the side of a man that would have and could have died countless times to save me since then. And now that man is waiting for me. He believes in me. So if this Tower wants to argue with the semantics of who belongs here… I have experience with Allagan games._

Most of that experience, of course, was in _losing_ — but ignoring that fact, I took a deep breath and held Raha’s vessel out toward the orb, bracing myself for the unknown.

_Beep._

_Click._

The sound echoed from somewhere behind me at the same moment that the orb flashed with a pale light akin to that of Raha’s vessel. The beep, at least, made immediate sense; it was the same sound that I’d heard before Raha had nearly closed the Umbilicus door on my hand and tail so many months before. I turned on a heel, expecting to find that the same familiar door was locked shut, trapping me inside — but it was still open, pouring the quiet mechanical hum in the room out into the whole of the Ocular.

Everything around me seemed unchanged, which managed to unnerve me more than anything I’d feared before. And then my eyes landed on the obvious mistake that I’d overlooked.

The door _opposite_ the Umbilicus had opened for the first time.

Behind it laid a dim, shadowed darkness similar to what I’d witnessed during my journey into the depths of Dalamud’s internal defense sector. Befitting all of the ancient Allagan architecture I’d witnessed up until then, glowing streaks of light in familiar hues of blue and red illuminated the walkways and walls, leading deeper into a narrow hallway that seemed to go on forever. The hum I’d detected earlier grew louder, though its source was still out of sight.

_I don’t know if this is right, but it’s dark enough in here for a bedchamber, and I don’t exactly have any better ideas. I wonder if this is what the survivors of Raha’s future saw when they woke him from his long slumber? Heh. I guess I’ll never know how they got past these stupid doors on their own. I hope someone was as happy to see them open as I am._

My palm grew sweaty around Raha’s spirit vessel as I left the Umbilicus and made my way out into the Ocular, gently shutting the door behind me with my tail. Giving unnecessary orders through the crystal vessel seemed like a decision best left to a man with nothing to lose. Thus prepared, my free hand found its way to the hilt of my rapier as I stepped over the threshold into the unfamiliar darkness, my heart and my breath both trapped in my lungs.

Again, it was all for naught. Only the darkness, and the steady hum in the air, surrounded me.

With every cautious, echoing step I took down the hallway and into the unknown, I found that my heart beat a little faster with anticipation. This, too, was an adventure of sorts. Raha _must_ have known that when he made the decision to place his future in my hands; I didn’t doubt it at all. He’d always made a game of everything between us since the day I’d first met him; only time and fondness had served to make it a pleasure instead of a drain on my limited patience.

 _Forcing me to sneak in here like some sort of petty thief hells-bent on stealing Allag’s most treasured secret possession… yeah, this_ has _to be right. You’re probably watching me sweat bullets right now inside that crystal of yours, aren’t you? I’ll remember this. I’m filing it right up there with that aethersand shite for things I still owe you for._

I didn’t even flinch when his crystal flashed in response, bathing the darkened walls in a temporary light. Whether he was laughing or merely _agreeing_ mattered less than the fact that he was still with me; still by my side. Knowing that, I could face whatever lay ahead.

The hallway seemed to drag on forever, bending and turning in places; only the fact that it didn’t fork prevented me from losing my way. I got the sense that we were descending to a lower, centralized point in the Tower, though no stairs ever appeared to confirm the suspicion. In the back of my mind, I posed the question of why the Allagans hadn’t installed a damned _elevator_ for this purpose to Raha — but flashes, of course, could not answer such a complex question.

Then, all too soon, the journey was over, And as the room widened out in front of me at last, all of my childish complaints dissolved into ancient dust upon the cold steel floor.

* * *

The first thing that registered on my senses was the scent in the air. By the sheer fortune of being born a Miqo’te, I didn’t need to _touch_ him or _see_ him to know his presence, even after so many years apart from the younger face and body that he wore in the Source. I hadn’t expected so little to change, somehow — fresh soap and old books beneath a layer of something indefinably specific to his physical form. Of course, I hadn’t noticed _that_ until we’d gotten closer in the First; if I had, it might have given away the truth of the Crystal Exarch too soon.

The last time I’d noticed it, he’d been in a crystallizing heap on the floor, making clear that I knew he wasn’t saying goodbye forever; only for the moment. It had somehow comforted me then more than it did now, faced with the final step of bringing him _home_. Only the use of my eyes and hands could steady me through that, and so I focused on both.

The room in front of me might well have been called a bedchamber, though it was both a bed and a chamber that defied my usual understanding of either. I’d expected something fit for the royalty he was, but the assortment of complex machinery and tall screens that filled all twenty fulms of the rear wall looked more like something I’d expect to find in a Garlean castrum. The steady hum I’d been following stemmed from the center of the lot.

Countless sensors, tubes, and assorted devices beyond my ability to name ran up and into the piece de resistance in the foreground: a platform elevated by two short steps in the center of the room, holding a large, vertical, cylindrical tube not unlike a coffin. It looked similar in design to the capsule that had once held Krile in the Garlean Resonatorium. Unlike hers, it was large enough to admit two, or even three; I recalled that both Xande and Amon had been taller and larger than the biggest Roegadyn I’d ever met during my tenure as a Warrior of Light.

Had the lights that pulsed across its surface been as terrifyingly _red_ with warning as they were in the Resonatorium, I might have faltered longer and harder at the sight. But one thing I’d learned over the course of my tenure as an adventurer was that blue and green lights most often indicated a piece of _functional_ machinery. And the more I thought about the situation, the more my mind started to make sense out of the nonsense before me.

 _This has to be where the suspended animation process happens. Why would a legendary scientist like Amon have spent time and money on a beautiful place to_ sleep _for generations? Emergency lighting is all you’d need until you woke up to turn on the real lights. Besides, the machines must be part of the process for keeping someone alive, and from the look of them, that has to be one_ nasty _power draw. Better to save the fireworks for the afterparty._

I glanced down at the vessel in my hand to find it shining more brightly than ever. Raha’s excitement was clear, even if the mysteries in front of me were only beginning to unravel. Swallowing hard against the sudden lump in my throat, I made my way up the steps and toward the cylinder that I was so certain held what I’d been seeking ever since the day he’d left.

I didn’t have time to raise his crystal aloft before the room _responded_ to its presence.

At first, only the hum that I’d been tracking since I entered the Ocular changed, increasing in volume. Within moments, it sounded more like one of Cid’s experimental airship designs than whatever efficient mechanism I’d assumed it to be at first glance. Then the screens around me slowly sputtered to life, displaying clear patterns of words and phrases across their brightly-lit surfaces. For a mercy, they were written in Eorzean instead of some long-lost arcane script; the many questions _that_ raised would be worth asking Raha about someday soon.

Every muscle in my body tensed in anticipation as I focused my gaze on the scrolling text.

_[STATUS: Normal. Operator permission has been granted. Now engaging resuscitation procedure. Time until completion: 00:20:00. Please wait…]_

A new sound stole my attention from somewhere inside the cylinder; the subtle movement of ancient machinery awakening from its own long and difficult slumber. In unison, the comforting blue and green lights on the outer surface turned the same milky shade of white as the glowing vessel in my shaking hand. Having watched the process of soul transfer for each of the Scions, I could only assume that Raha’s had finally begun, even with a layer of metal separating us for what would — _had to_ — be the last time in history.

_[Time until completion: 00:19:54. Please wait…]_

_[Time until completion: 00:19:50. Please wait…]_

_[Time until completion: 00:19:47. Please wait…]_

I reached out with my free hand to touch the surface of the cylinder, pressing my fingertips against the cold metal in the foolish hope that he could sense it, somehow.

_Twenty minutes until we open the last door that matters. Twenty minutes until you open those beautiful eyes of yours for me. I won’t settle for anything less… G’raha Tia. Do you hear me?_

This time, well in the throes of its fateful journey, the vessel in my palm did not respond.

With nothing to do but stare at the ticking chronometer projected on every screen in the room, I lowered myself down to the edge of the platform and took a tailor’s seat in front of the cylinder-turned-bed, preparing for what I knew would be the longest wait of my life. Laying his vessel in my lap for safekeeping, I did my best to lose myself in its pattern of seemingly random flashes and shimmers. The only thing left to fill the void was prayer.

_I’ve never been a religious man. I take the names of the Twelve in vain like everyone else. They’re part of this world and its long history, so it would be foolish to ignore them entirely, but… I guess they’ve always been a shared point of reference more than a driving force in my life. If they were guiding my steps, they never said it — so I assumed those steps were my own. But right now, for these twenty minutes, I’ll consider throwing myself on the mercy of anything that has ever existed. Short of summoning a damned primal… I’ll do whatever it takes. Anything._

_So stay with me, Raha. I… beg of you. Please._

_[Time until completion: 00:17:59. Please wait…]_

Giving into the demands of the Allagans, it seemed, was getting to be a _habit_.

* * *

When the wait was over, I couldn’t have said for sure whether it felt like mere moments had passed, or the rest of my life. The glowing and flashing crystal in my lap had grown quieter in the last few minutes, dimming to a faint, terrifying flicker. The screens above me seemed to pause for dramatic effect as they counted down from one to zero. I grabbed Raha’s vessel in both hands and scrambled to my feet, the business end of my rapier scraping carelessly against the metal flooring as if I were a raw novice in the art of proper weapon care.

Nothing at all mattered but the words that replaced the chronometer I’d stared at for every second of the twenty solid minutes I’d been waiting.

_[STATUS: Normal. Resuscitation procedure complete. No errors detected. Now unlocking stasis chamber. Please wait…]_

_Wait? Again?! I’m starting to see where you get it, old man._

But this time, fate did not leave me in the lurch for long. The sound of the cylinder door unlocking was similar enough to the Resonatorium; the razor-thin line of white light that blazed through the first half-ilm gap in the metal would have been blinding even to Raha’s Seeker eyes. Nevertheless, I let it burn into my retinas like a fool as the twin halves of the door opened wider, unwilling to look away from my first sight of him for even a second.

And as the searing pain began to fade, my patience was at last rewarded.

Unlike Krile, Raha had suffered his own confinement by choice; the difference was clear in his bearing despite the amount of time he’d been gone. There was a pride and a certainty to the way he stood, arms at his sides, that reminded me of the strength he’d shown on the day he’d said his farewells — though I’d been in no mood to appreciate it then. As his chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, I found the will to breathe myself; his tail drifted through a series of slow, lazy motions that seemed to still be outside of his conscious control.

His fiery mane still boasted the simple thin braid that it always had, free of the silver tarnish of age; his ears were calm and lowered in rest. The stubborn smile that graced his lips was utterly unchanged by the years, though it had softened to something less _dangerous_ in sleep. I’d made a mental note to study his eyelashes in particular when I saw him again; they _had_ always been long and beautiful, confirming that I’d been a fool for _far_ too many years of my existence.

This time, I couldn’t have taken my eyes off of him if I wanted to — and I didn’t.

His own eyes were still closed, but that was not cause for concern; not yet. He’d just returned to the world of the waking. Only one thing about him struck me as out of place, and if not for the magnitude of the detail, I might have missed it entirely in the moment. In lieu of the adventuring attire he’d worn when I’d last seen him in the Source, the familiar black-and-red robe of the Exarch draped his form in silken darkness. I couldn’t help but notice that he filled them out better than he had as a tired old man, though they still hid too much for my liking.

His hood, at least, was down, giving me the full view of his face that I’d wanted.

 _He never said anything about this. It’s clearly his old body. There’s no sign of any crystal anywhere. But… how? Nobody else brought anything back with them. I thought that was impossible for anyone but me. Maybe the crystal just… disappeared when he came back? That doesn’t explain why he looks so strong and healthy, though. It’s as if the two simply fused, somehow. That_ was _the idea when it came to his mind and soul, but this? I… don’t understand._

 _And I don’t have to. All that matters is whether the transfer_ worked _._

My body moved before my mind could catch up, and I found myself stepping toward the cylinder that held him, far too brave for my own safety or his. The thought of what might happen if I touched him too soon in the process didn’t register until too late; I was half inside the machine myself before it did, my arms wrapped around him as if letting him go would return him to Norvrandt, beyond my reach forever. My grip on the vessel in my hands could have broken it.

 _Raha. Twelve as my witness… even if this whole thing fails, and you don’t remember the man you became, or the things we shared… we’ll take it slow. One day at a time. I’ll be as patient as I have to be. For now, it’s enough to see you_ alive _instead of turning into some cold and empty memory in service to a future you’ll never see._

The hum of the machinery around me stopped, and the brilliant light emanating from the cylinder faded. I didn’t notice at first when his arms slowly rose to embrace me in turn; everything in me was focused on the exact second that his crimson eyes opened half an ilm like a kitten, still lost between states of consciousness — and yet fully aware of my presence.

“Mmm… Raph’ir. ‘Tis good to be… _awake_.”

I’d known the sound of my name, when — _if_ — it came, would be too much. The sound of _his_ had been too much for _him_ back in Norvrandt. And yet, I still managed to surprise myself as I knocked my glasses to the floor in my rush to bury my face in his shoulder, unable to hold back the tears I’d been fighting ever since I’d seen him turn to crystal.

The raw relief and singular joy of seeing him again, and the sheer triumph of his insane plan’s resounding success, were overwhelming enough on their own — but the memory of his slow, painful sacrifice for the sake of Norvrandt’s future, and the fear I’d felt for him since, had yet to dissipate. That would take time — all the time that we had bought _together_.

Even so, I’d considered what my first words to him would be since leaving the Seat of Sacrifice. Though I could barely speak, I forged ahead like the hero he’d convinced me I was.

“Raha… y-your breath… s-stinks.”

I didn’t need to see his face to feel him pause for half a moment, uncertain of the reference at first — and then break into quiet laughter as he tightened his grip on me, the fingers of his natural _right_ hand stroking my hair for what I would later realize was the first time ever.

“Tsk. Mayhap you assumed the Allagans woke up each morning smelling like fresh fangpaste? Forgive me for destroying such a lovely dream. I shall have to make it up to you. But for now, I fear that I am content to make you suffer for a little while longer. Indulge me, will you?”

The all-too-familiar playfulness in his voice, even when he spoke with such affection and care — and after what must have been the most difficult journey of his life _and_ mine — undid my first attempts to get myself under control. The words I needed to tell him how happy I was to have him back again, and how much I loved him, foundered in the wake of my tearful collapse. Only his closeness, his breath against my shoulder, filled the silence between us.

After a moment, his tail twisted itself around mine, and he leaned his head down to whisper in my ear. I expected his cheeks to be wet with his own tears, but his voice seemed to shine with confidence in the same way it had during his final moments in Norvrandt — as well it should have. He’d accomplished the unthinkable yet again. Even if I had been in any state to argue, the spotlight _belonged_ to him, and I wanted him to revel in every onze of it.

Or, perhaps, it was simply the _young_ man in him raising his voice for the first time, feeling out the changes that had taken place since he’d last opened his eyes.

“Your tears honor me, my Warrior of Darkness… although I yearn to see that singular _smile_ of yours. The one that kept this star turning after I left it in your care. But I can be patient. I have asked much of you already. Pray take the time you need. I shall be here. Always.”

_I… will hold you to that. Whether I am truly some ancient deity incarnate, Hydaelyn’s puppet, or an ordinary boy that grew up in a cave and got lucky… I am yours, Raha. So stay with me this time. I would explore every last answer to every last secret of this world by your side — even the thousands of them that live in that clever mind of yours._

We stood there, lost in our own thoughts and each other’s arms, for what felt like bells — but I knew that my legs could not have held me that long if my life had depended on it. In the end, my hold on the world around me returned long enough for me to lift my head and make an honest attempt at giving him what he’d asked for. Though it was shaky, my smile was genuine; it was so damned hard _not_ to smile in his presence, and always had been.

It was, after all, one of the earliest signs that I’d fallen for him in the first place.

“Ah… there. That is more like it.”

Raha’s own smile lit up his face in turn, and I was transfixed by its resemblance to the Exarch’s; yet it still seemed to be somehow uniquely his own. The slight blush that crept into his cheeks as he gazed up into my eyes would have stolen my heart if it had still been mine to give. As ever, though, he was quick to recover, and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine. I considered interrupting the words that followed with a much-needed kiss, but the memory of the silence following his crystallization was too fresh; it was better to let him speak.

“If you are here with me, then the Scions must have arrived without incident. Which means that instead of losing my head with worry, I can make sure that I thank you for seeing me through to this day. For standing by my side until the end. And I can tell you that I love you without anything getting in my way. If I am still dreaming… pray let me sleep a while longer.”

Of course, there was only one way to prove he _wasn’t_ still asleep. Somehow, without dropping it, I transferred his spirit vessel to one hand — and used my other to reach down and pinch the top curve of his arse through his robe, hard enough to make sure he _noticed_. The undignified yelp that followed brought me closer to my senses and left me feeling more like a hero than ever, even as he narrowed his eyes at me. The famous pout he’d patented before his trip to Norvrandt didn’t make it to his face in time to hide his wide grin.

“Hah! Some things never change, I see. Very well. Consider your point taken in _full_. Perhaps I should object in a more _direct_ fashion, but… mending what I have broken, even if it _was_ for the sake of the future, must be my first priority as a proud citizen of the Source.”

His expression softened a little as he went back to stroking my hair, but there was a hint of sheepish uncertainty in his posture as he switched his weight from foot to foot; his tail untangled itself from mine and twitched aimlessly in the empty space between him and the cylinder wall. His gaze shifted to the hallway in the distance behind me. Before I could ask him about it, though, he spoke again, his words far too quick to convince me he wasn’t hiding something.

“What happens after _that_ remains to be seen. I would ensure that the Scions are hale and healthy before I make any long-term decisions. And… do I recall you saying once that you intended to find a way to show me your… ah… personal estate? I would hold you to that promise _now_. I… should get acquainted with my new lodgings in Ul’dah, after all. Mayhap _sooner_ , rather than later. I am still not fully comfortable in this old body of mine, but…”

 _Lodgings… o-of course. He_ is _my husband, after all. With everything that’s happened in the last few days, I… didn’t even want to think about the possibility, just in case he didn’t make it. I hope it’s still clean. Is there space for both of us? The bed’s certainly big enough for two…_

His sudden urgency and restlessness triggered the thought that perhaps he was still more tired than he looked. The Scions had all been exhausted on arrival from their own journeys through the Rift. From the strength he’d shown me since waking, I had assumed that the Tower’s effects on him had mitigated much of the drain on his body, but _asking_ would have been wiser than _assuming_ in my own haste to put aside the painful distance between us.

As I opened my mouth to promise him anything — the bed to himself, a couch, even a blanket on the floor or the kitchen counter — his beautiful crimson eyes met mine again, and I felt as if his Tower had somehow managed to freeze _me_ in time. Helpless in the face of his careful observation as always, I could only return the favor as he leaned in to steal the kiss I’d withheld earlier. His lips were somehow far softer and fuller than the Exarch’s had been, though the shape and the muffled whimpers between them had not changed at all.

I studied them at great and selfish length, leaving him panting for breath — as I’d dreamed of for far too many years. Only then did I realize that the man I’d once foolishly thought of as a _brother_ was giving me a most _unbrotherly_ look despite the dripping mess I’d made of my face. It seemed there was no accounting for _taste_ when it came to Allagan sensibilities!

“I… have been asleep for too long, Raph’ir. And perhaps it is too forward of me to say so, but I would wake up further next to you, in your sheets, in your bed. Nothing about that has changed since we parted in Norvrandt, and… I fear it has not on _this_ star, either.”

_This star too, huh? And here I thought you’d made that up after too many trips through time and space. Looks like I have more to make up for than just what I’ve learned since meeting the Exarch. I’d say it’s a shame, but… it’s not, if I’m being honest. I’m looking forward to it._

I couldn’t help chuckling as I leaned in to kiss him again, letting my lips linger on his for longer than either of us found comfortable. “Best be careful what you wish for, _old man_. The Scions are waiting for the good news, and I think I heard Alphinaud say something about a pot of tea as I left. They’ll kill me if I don’t bring you straight to the Rising Stones. And you just woke up. There’s no telling what might happen if you push yourself so soon after waking.”

“Mmm-hm.” Raha’s expression didn’t change an ilm, but I felt him press himself closer to me; his empty hands filled themselves with the back of my crimson coatee. The sudden, sturdy, warm pressure against the inside of my leg was even less subtle than his hands or lips. “And perhaps _you_ have not given sufficient thought to what _I_ will do to you if you utter a single _word_ about _rest_ or _sleep_. What is more, I trust that the Scions have _anticipated_ this turn of events, given that even the halest among them are not with you. Will you reject their kindness?”

_I won’t deny that there was a time when I would have tried. All I wanted to do was protect you, because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you again. But now I know that you’ll always find a way back to me, no matter how long the road or how high the reach may be. So the best way to make sure that you’re safe, and alive, and happy, is to always go with you. Not to stop you from doing foolish things… but to make sure you’re not alone when you do them._

_Together, we can turn the foolish and impossible into the expected. You’ve convinced me._

“Perish the thought.” With a teasing grin, I wasted no time in borrowing back an arm to wipe my eyes and face; it also gave me the chance to slide his nearly-forgotten spirit vessel back into my pocket for safekeeping. “I just wanted to see if you’d noticed that on your own. Clever as always, G’raha Tia… but _cleverness_ won’t save either of us this time. If my bed is what you truly desire, then what sort of husband would I be to refuse you?”

And then, unencumbered by fragile crystals, useless grief, and wasted words, I returned his desperate grip with my own, trapping him against the rear wall of his own cylinder. Between long, rough kisses, I found myself all too willing to press the advantage he’d given me.

“So tell me then, Raha. Was it watching me run around half of Eorzea, cursing the voice in the shadows that haunted me as I looked for _your_ aethersand, that made you want me? Or was it watching me climb all those stairs in the Tower? You always did make me so very… tired. Though, just so you know… I might have done this a long time ago if you’d said something. I couldn’t have put it into words at first, but I think I might have figured it out in time.”

His eyes had closed in pleading when my lips first found his, but the hunger in them when they opened again dragged whatever patience I still had through the mud.

“Fortunately, if you should chance to ask Rammbroes about the _many_ painfully awkward conversations we had about that _very_ subject, you will find that he holds his liquor like a _champion_. He… _did_ always say that I should follow my heart and tell you. I ought to have listened… but the only regret I have at this moment is how very _clothed_ we still are. If it is not too late to… change my mind… p-perhaps we might stay here a bit longer. Ul’dah is… so far away, and I am not sure I can… make it…”

I was on my knees before he could finish, somehow managing to avoid my fallen glasses in my rush to locate the ties of his sandals. Unlacing them was as instinctual as it had ever been, even in the midst of such a dimly-lit and unfamiliar bedroom; I could feel him trembling with anticipation at every gentle touch. As I moved to stand back up, leaving them in a discarded pile on the floor, his hands wound their way into my hair again, stopping me in place; the long eyelashes I’d so admired veiled his expression from view.

Judging from the way the loose front of the Exarch’s robe did _nothing_ to disguise his obvious need for me, least of all at my kneeling height, I questioned whether he’d have even made it out of the _cylinder_ , let alone to Ul’dah. This time, his intent for me needed no _explanation_ at all.

I felt him brace himself against the rear wall when I reached for the hem of his robe in response; it didn’t take much effort to slip beneath it, my face mere ilms from the helpless throb of his concealed desire. The darkness around me concealed my wicked grin.

“Impatient as always, huh? Fine. At this rate, you’re going to tell me that Rammbroes found out when he caught you taking matters into your own hands between visits to the Tower.”

Even beneath yalms of luxurious fabric, I could hear him swallow hard; at least _part_ of his subtle flinch as he tightened his grip in my hair had nothing to do with anticipation.

“Ah… p-perhaps we should save that story… for another time.”

_Uh-huh. Guilty as charged. What else did I miss while I was up in that Tower?_

I gave him half a second to catch his breath before pressing my lips against the straining bulge in his smallclothes. Despite the thin layer of cloth remaining between me and his naked flesh, he groaned at the fresh contact as if I’d somehow skipped a step; the wet stain left behind to mark the spot was more _his_ fault than mine. Forced to free themselves from my hair, his greedy hands returned to the top of my head through the folds of his robe. I could feel his hips subtly reaching for more of my mouth before I’d even gotten started.

“Raph’ir… Twelve, please… I need you…”

As I reached for the waistband of his smallclothes and tugged them down over his slender hips to his knees, I let the breath from my answer tickle his newly exposed shaft.

“Heh. And I need you, too. So I hope you don’t think this will be the end… though it _might_ last you long enough to make it to Ul’dah for the rest, if you’re lucky.”

Above me, I felt him shift his grip to the back of my head and pull, gently but firmly guiding me over the last two ilms between my lips and his body; it seemed that he was _done_ waiting.

My grin gradually faded as I gave into his demands, sliding my mouth over the head of his steely rod as ordered. As familiar as I was with the feel and taste of him after our time together in Norvrandt, it didn’t take long before I had him halfway down my throat, my hands clutching his hips and my eyes closed in concentration. Every pulsing vein and crease against my tongue reminded me that he was still _mine_ ; only the slight added force in each of his trembling, subconscious thrusts betrayed the difference between the Exarch and himself.

 _Thal’s balls. What have I gotten myself into? At this rate, I’ll have to find new ways to keep up with him. I thought_ I _used to be the insatiable one. Not that I’m complaining._

His cries of pleasure started at a respectable volume, but as I tightened my lips around him, embracing the steady up-and-down rhythm that his hands and body desired, his best attempts at caution disappeared into the wind, echoing through the room. If not for the quiet solitude of the Crystal Tower and its unknowable depths, I might have spared a thought for the citizens of Revenant’s Toll; as it stood, I made every effort to encourage the so-called error. It was a fine use of the beautiful voice he’d always had — in my not-so-humble opinion.

I lost track of the minutes that passed as I fully focused on the way that his desperation made him switch without conscious thought between each of my given names as he moaned; on the way his already-hard shaft grew as solid as the crystal he’d left behind. It was impossible not to feel my own need stirring as he lost himself in me, but that, I’d promised him for later. Even the distant thought of what it would be like to introduce him to my bed at home could wait. The only thing that mattered was giving him what he’d earned; what he _wanted_ , as always.

Fortunately, it was what I wanted, too — for a start.

And then, all at once, I felt him brace twice as hard against the back wall, his bare toes trying to dig into the metal flooring for purchase that they would never find. His hands on my head shook harder than they ever had when he was an old man.

“R-Raph’ir… I… I c-cannot hold back… any longer…”

_As if you still need to warn me, idiot. Reserve that legendary kindness of yours for someone that doesn’t know every ilm of you already from the inside out. It was too late before you even spoke… and you’ve never needed my permission._

Fortunately, he didn’t — or couldn’t — wait for an answer. His hands let go of my head only long enough for him to throw his arms around me instead; every ilm of his throbbing rod filled my mouth as he clutched me against his body. He’d barely managed to stabilize himself before he lost the last of his remaining control, spilling every onze of his pent-up need down my throat.

Each tremor of his body brought a fresh groan of desire to his lips — all of which somehow managed to settle on my birth name, against the odds.

_Heh. Poor thing… you must have really missed me. The last time I saw fireworks like that was the Heavensturn celebration. Which… I guess we’ll be watching together this year. From the privacy of that Hingan hot tub I installed in my yard. I used to think it was a bit gauche for just me, but now? I think it’s perfect for a pair of horny heroes like ourselves. I’ll have to warn the neighbors at least. Your fault, you know. I won’t take the blame for that one._

Staying where I was, I held him close until he’d stopped shaking; until he’d gone limp with temporary exhaustion in my mouth, ceding his possession of my head and neck. Only then did I ease my lips off of him, leaning forward to kiss his still-trembling thighs instead. Once I was sure that he’d caught his breath, I returned my fallen glasses to my face and stood, pulling back the makeshift curtain formed by his robe to extricate myself from the lightless stage beneath.

His smallclothes, I left dangling at half-mast from his knees; I had every intention of removing them fully before we made our way to Ul’dah.

_Your sandals are already off, so I’ll have to carry you on my back like a Twelves-damned kitten. We’ll see how long you last rubbing up against me with no smallclothes. I warned you I wasn’t done… and I still owe you for how much you scared me in Norvrandt. The only way I’ll show you any mercy is if all that tiredness catches up with you. And I won’t hold my breath for that._

Eager to get a look at his face again after kneeling for so long in total darkness, I put on my best grin and opened my mouth, planning to tease him further — but what I found stole the wind from my sails instead. As I’d expected, he was smiling from ear to ear, his beautiful eyes still closed in rapture. And yet, hidden, silent tears lurked behind and between his eyelashes, trying their best to pull my attention away from the few that had already escaped down his cheeks. All it took was one quiet sniffle for me to pull him into my arms for comfort.

“Hey now. If you wanted more, you could have just _said_ so. _I’m_ the one that should be mewling like a fool, not you. Should I have waited? You _did_ seem bothered by something at first, but… I thought that had more to do with morning wood. Sorry if I misunderstood.”

He shook his head slowly, at first unwilling to do more than cling to me — but eventually he dared to open his eyes, giving me a shy smile that threatened to slay me where I stood.

“F-Forgive me my poor timing. In truth, I had hoped to lay this foolishness aside. Rest assured, you misunderstood _nothing_ , and… I enjoyed that more than you can ever know. But I was so afraid that you would… miss the _old_ me. That I would be… too different, somehow. You only realized your feelings for me after I had become Exarch, and… again, it is _foolish_ of me, I know, but… the thought of making it all this way, only to find that your heart and body preferred someone from a distant dream instead of this old, forgotten memory…”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“ _Tell_ me you are not _that_ much of an idiot, G’raha Tia. And after you’d convinced me so thoroughly that your clever mind was worthy of my respect after all.”

When he laughed beneath his tears, I graced him with the smallest of smiles — but it was clear that doubt still plagued him more than it should have, despite what I had considered _inarguable_ proof. I let him lower his head to my shoulder, his lowered ears somehow signaling quiet joy and embarrassment in equal measures as he spoke again.

“I fear that I _am_ , if I am being honest. I am relieved to know that it _was_ only foolishness, but… It has been so _long_ since this star was my own. I wanted nothing more than this, and yet the sheer, infuriating _inelegance_ of being a stranger in my own homeland is more daunting than any sin eater. Knowing that you will be by my side eases my fears, but regardless of the depths of my mind and memories, those that knew me before might be disappointed in the change. And I would not shame you by being a poor match when I meet those that did not.”

My right arm tightened around him, and I brought my left back to my side, using it instead to reach for his chin. Forcing him to look up at me didn’t take much effort, and after a moment or two of avoiding my eyes, he finally gave up and met my solemn gaze.

“ _That_ is a steaming pile of _chocobo shite_ , and you know it as well as I do. But since you still seem to think so highly of _me_ for some reason, maybe you’ll listen when I tell you that you _remain_ the headstrong, careless fool that I remember before you went to sleep… _and_ the brave, clever, and kind Exarch that you became. Nothing has been lost. And I, for one, am _proud_ to stand by your side in whatever future you choose next. There are _zero_ possible outcomes where you could shame me or anyone else that knows you. Do you understand me?”

His lower lip started to tremble, but I wasn’t finished yet.

“Give it time, sunshine. It’s your first bell back in Eorzea. You’ll have the time you need to adjust, even if you _insist_ on working yourself to the bone to speed it up. You’ll find your place here again, and I know I’ll have to stand in line once you’re ready to face the world outside. Maybe I’ll let _you_ be the big hero and get some sleep _myself_ for a change. How about that?”

As I let go of his chin, his ears perked up again, and the shy smile he’d worn before returned to his face. Looking up at me, he found it in himself to chuckle, his tears forgotten.

“I… must refuse that kind offer. If there are adventures to be had, I would share them with you. Even if I am a bit rusty at first, I will do whatever I must to ensure that I do not get _left behind_ again. And once my mind and body are more settled, perhaps I can better appreciate my own accomplishments for what they are. I am… in no state to _think_ right now.”

At last, he was starting to make sense. In honor of the feat, I leaned in to give him a tender kiss to encourage him further, then set my fingertips to work in brushing away the pesky wetness that marred his handsome face. “Good. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be happy to convince you of my own sincerity as many times as you deem it necessary, but I won’t have you thinking that you’re a burden on everyone else. If _you’re_ a burden, then _I’ve_ been sleeping on the job.”

Perhaps I should have expected it, but I was too focused on arguing with him to prepare myself for the moment when his right hand reached up to trap my fingers against his cheek. The soft chuckle that accompanied it did nothing to distract me from the fact that we’d been standing around _talking_ like fools instead of making our way to Ul’dah. His beautiful eyes seemed to shine again with renewed purpose — and something dangerous, barely hidden from view. Only once I noticed his lips curve into a subtle smirk did I realize the source of my error.

“Thank you, Raph’ir. You have told me before that _I_ am the one that always knows what to say at times like these, but mayhap I have simply learned from the best. Though I must say… I do not remember you calling me _sunshine_ at any point on _either_ star. Not that I object.”

 _S-Shite. I… said it out loud, didn’t I? I don’t remember when it started. I’m not in the habit of handing out affectionate nicknames to everyone I meet. It’s just… I can’t really call you_ old man _anymore, and_ Ser Exarch _doesn’t cover everything it should. And it fits that smile of yours so well. And the fact that you’re still a beacon of hope in this world, not just Norvrandt._

_Tsk. You’re nothing but trouble. How am I supposed to live with myself, knowing I’m this sappy? How far the mighty have fallen. And now I’m at your mercy, to top it all off._

I tried to glare at him as my cheeks darkened, but looking him in the eye proved to be too difficult; glaring at the cylinder wall behind him had less of an impact than I’d hoped.

“Shut it, catboy. If you have the presence of mind to notice _that,_ then you have the presence of mind to make it to Ul’dah. Remind me not to worry so much about you next time.”

He let go of me entirely, the sound of his laughter filling the room.

“ _Catboy_? _That_ one is new as well. Surely you have noticed that _you_ resemble the word yourself. Or do you mean to tell me that you are no animal? I fear I have seen evidence to the contrary.”

_Hmph. For the sake of that laugh, I’ll wear the resemblance with pride._

“I can’t take credit for that one. Giott said it once, and it was just so… perfect for Lue-Reeq that it stuck in my head. Consider it a souvenir from Norvrandt, I guess.” Doing my best to shove my embarrassment to the back of my mind, I gave him a wicked grin. “As for being an animal… it’s true that I pretend sometimes, just for fun. But you have more proof than most. In exchange for your silence regarding that… slip of the tongue… I would be happy to give you more.”

“Do you _truly_ believe I would agree to such terms?” One of Raha’s hands slid up to his hip, and his smirk didn’t budge in the slightest. “As you may recall, I am quite familiar with your _deals_ after dodging your tireless attempts to break my concentration in the Ocular, _catboy_. If I may, I would hazard a guess that you will give me that extra proof of yours even _if_ I insist on telling the world how soft you are. Your patience is remarkable _and_ appreciated, but I know when you are at your limit. I cannot afford to put such a modest price on my silence.”

 _Twelve damn it. He doesn’t_ look _that much different, but he’s not old and tired anymore. Those reflexes… he really_ does _learn fast. I might be in trouble here._

“F-Fine. You drive a hard bargain. Name your price… sunshine.”

He paused for a moment, thinking it over; a subtle flash of surprise registered on his face. It seemed that he hadn’t expected me to cede the argument so soon — which was at least, in part, what I’d hoped for. Unfortunately, catching him off guard did naught to derail his clever mind; I’d forgotten who I was dealing with. Since when had _pressure_ ever shaken _him_?

“Very well. _If_ I agree to keep this between us… then I will expect two of your finest attempts at replicating the Second Serving’s famous _espresso con panna_ when I wake tomorrow morning. In _our_ bed, of course. And I will expect you to _join_ me. Without complaint.”

_That’s all? I mean, I’m not looking forward to getting up that early, and the ingredients are a bit difficult to locate on short notice, but it’s not hard to make. You could have just asked for—!_

I’d focused so hard on the rest of his request that I hadn’t noticed the last two words of it until that moment. The countless memories of forcing mugs of sugar and cream-laden silk down my throat for the sake of spending time with him in Norvrandt still haunted me, and he _knew_ it; I’d certainly made my position on the matter clear. Asking me not to comment on anything other than the blackest and darkest cup of coffee was the equivalent of asking me to bed a moogle.

_This is impossible. Complaining about your terrible taste in drinks is such a habit that it’s like breathing by now. Even if I glue my lips together, I’m going to slip eventually. And then Alisaie will never let me live it down… to say nothing of Y’shtola. But if I don’t even try—!_

I met his impenetrable gaze, suddenly feeling like I’d walked into the middle of the Coerthan highlands in my smallclothes — in the dead of deepest winter.

“You’re on. Though I’ll have to get out of bed to do it, y’know.”

He shook his head as his smirk widened, and a sinking feeling crept into my stomach. I watched him bend over in preparation to grab the sandals I’d left beneath him.

“Mmm-hm. I am willing to be generous with our time together, at least for a few moments. _Someone_ must needs write an anonymous letter explaining the particulars of this nickname to the Mythril Eye, after all, and I can do _that_ while you are making our drinks. That should give me everything I want, I believe. I will have your extra proof, my espresso, and the certain knowledge that you cannot _possibly_ succeed in this challenge. Unless, of course, you prefer to control your _own_ admission. I look forward to seeing how high Alphinaud’s eyebrows can rise.”

 _Nice job, Sahra. Look what you’ve done now. Best hope you’re ready to be Raphail Somnalune, famed ex-magician, Warrior of both Light and Darkness… and the laughingstock of the star. Hells, he’ll probably tell Norvrandt too. I don’t know_ how _, exactly, but…_

“I misspoke. You’re no _catboy_ , G’raha Tia. You’re a Twelves-damned _monster_.”

I waited until he stood up, lost in his own insufferable laughter, before stepping forward and grabbing his sandals out of his hands like a petulant child. Slinging the ties around my neck took less time than grabbing him unceremoniously around the waist and lifting him up over my shoulder. Without the crystal to add extra density to his body weight, he was light enough to overpower if I put my mind to it; somehow, my dedication to the task had never been stronger.

His surprised protests all fell on deaf ears. Though they started as empty demands to put him _down_ already — in a tone of voice that frankly begged the exact opposite — they soon evolved into embarrassed pleas to rescue the smallclothes that had fallen to the floor when I picked him up. I shook my head against his side and shrugged beneath him.

“You won’t need those in Ul’dah. Leave ‘em as an Allagan relic for someone to find the next time they make it past the barriers. Imagine their faces, if you’d like. I certainly will.”

I felt him sigh as he gave up and did his best to relax against my shoulder, but it was an awkward position for both of us and I knew it; I’d only tried it to test his weight in my arms before trying to lift him onto my back. Still, the fact that _he_ didn’t know that meant that I could milk it for all it was worth. His grumble in my ear only served to bolster my resolve.

“You are… a sore loser, my Warrior of Darkness. Has anyone told you that?”

“You chose this star, y’know. Don’t tell me that’s news to you.”

After a few more moments of carrying him around like a Seeker-shaped sack of popotoes, I lowered him to the ground again, chuckling. Then, and only then, did I turn my back to him, squatting ever so slightly and bracing my legs against the ground. I’d never had cause to assume such a position before, but the memory of my eldest brother preparing to lift me onto _his_ back had been etched into my brain for so many years that it somehow felt natural.

“Here. Maybe you’d prefer a _different_ ride to Ul’dah? We can’t have you walking barefoot all the way there, and I’d just as soon not wait for you to put on those sandals again. Unless you changed your mind about my bed, that is. I _could_ show you what an animal I am here and now.”

Turning my head, I could see him pause, the shy smile returning to his face as he focused on my words. This time it was _his_ turn to blush, though not for the reason I expected.

“Y-You… would _truly_ carry me? I _am_ able to walk, you know. I am not so tired as to need your charity. But… that is to say, I… as foolish as it is, there is a part of me that… would like nothing more. P-Perhaps we might consider that score settled after all.”

 _Heh. Which part of you would_ that _be? I haven’t even picked you up yet, catboy._

“Hurry up already. I’m not used to this position. I guess Allaz must’ve had a lot of practice with seven kittens to throw around. And we were a lot smaller, too.”

Suddenly Raha was right behind me, his soft breath in my ear and his head far too close to mine; he leaned forward with his arms around my neck, pressing the rest of his body up against me. I hadn’t expected the subtle height difference between us to work out as well as it did; without his smallclothes, it took no effort on my part to feel the faint stirrings of something waking, warm, and sturdy against my lower back, just as I’d hoped.

Grabbing his legs from beneath, lifting him onto my back, and standing up was easier than I’d expected. Feeling the hem of his robe rise up to his knees as I moved, by contrast, was _less_ so. Eorzea’s view of his bare legs could only have been better if I’d stripped him out of his robe entirely — and the only thanks I got was the knowledge that I was missing it myself.

 _Shite._ He’s _still recovering, but how am_ I _going to get to Ul’dah like this?! Um… thank the Twelve for chocobos. I’ll just have to make it up a long ramp, twenty flights of stairs, and outside._

_Breathe, Sahra. Breathe and think about chocobos._

As my mind cast about for a suitable distraction, I settled on the most obvious one to hand.

“Hey, Raha. That robe… did you bring it back with you from Norvrandt? I thought you said I was the only one that could carry things between stars. Well… me and Feo Ul.”

His chuckle would have been silent if it were not right next to my ear; he seemed to be lost in the feeling of being so close to me, riding my back like the kitten he still was in many ways. When he answered, his voice was slow, distant, and gentle.

“You are. It never came up before, but… this was in the Tower all along. A ceremonial robe for… something or other. I am not in the mood for a history lesson, but suffice to say it was meant for _me_. I changed into it before I fell asleep, and… well. I fear that my mind was not on the local fashions of Norvrandt when I arrived there. I had pressing business to attend to.”

 _Wait. You_ slept _in it? It’s a bloody Allagan nightgown! And the only time I ever saw you wearing anything else, aside from your nameday suit, was at our wedding. We’ll have to fix that. I can sew you anything, y’know. Even a Shisui kohakama, if that’s what you want._

_Twelve damn it. This isn’t helping at all._

Motion was the only solution to the dilemma I’d created, even if it would only be as fast as my legs and back could manage. As I carried him out of his cylinder into the wider room for the first time since his long nap began, the growing pressure at the small of my back gave me the distinct impression that he agreed entirely. The thought hadn’t left my mind before his lips found the outside of my ear, sending shivers through my body with each murmured word.

“You… ah… _planned_ this, did you not? I… might have guessed you would come up with something so absurd. Whatever am I going to do with you?”

With my hands occupied, a cough of embarrassment had to suffice for my response.

“If I’m being honest, it was a better idea the _first_ time I had it. And if I stop to put you down again, _dusk_ might make it to Ul’dah before _we_ do.”

“A lovely thought… although I must admit that I am rather cozy here, despite the _difficulties_ you have orchestrated for both of us. It may alarm you to hear such words from me, but perhaps a _short_ nap is in order. Allowing you to focus on the journey will see us sooner to our destination, and I… would enjoy this moment in peace. It has… been a long time.”

His fingers toyed with the back of my hair as he continued, filling in the answers to the unspoken questions I had. “I have not forgotten my earliest memories of standing alone amongst the other children my age, wishing for someone to see past the strangeness of my mismatched eyes. It has taken me longer than many my age to find that someone… but now that I have, I would revel in what I have missed. It is childish of me… but I hope you will allow me that honor.”

His words proved to be all the distraction I needed as I swallowed against the growing lump in my throat. Ever since I’d first met him, he’d struggled to find his place among others; he’d told me more than once that the pattern had not changed since birth. Only his eventual studies had given him a place to belong, and even among equals, his wild plans and expansive theories had left an impression on enough of his colleagues to warrant hesitation — _for some reason_.

How ironic it was, of course, that those same plans and theories had earned him the respect and love of both an entire lost future _and_ a second star in need of a guardian.

The lonely, terrifying years I spent at the Bending Birch orphanage came back to me every time he gave voice to his own hidden wounds; the feeling of being alone in a crowd resonated in every bone of my body. Only my memories of the siblings I’d lost had kept me from losing my sanity. But Raha had never known the kind of childhood warmth I’d had with Allaz and the rest of my siblings. Being carried by someone taller and stronger and _trusted_ was a first for him.

_We both deserved better… you especially. Most of my path was made up of bad luck and childish hubris, but… over something as stupid as the color of your eyes? It’s so petty that it makes me want to scream. I used to think sometimes about how things would have been if we’d met earlier in life, and… I think I might have turned out more like Seril. I might have gotten used to punching anyone with the nerve to say anything to your face. Hells… maybe I’d have been better off that way instead of ending up as a broken doormat for a monster._

_But it doesn’t matter. If I can give you even a little glimpse of what I had back then, I’ll do it. You… are my family now too. Maybe it’s different in a few_ notable _ways, but even I have to admit that there are things more important than sex. That smile of yours, for one. Allaz would have said the same thing about mine, I think, and I always wanted to be as cool as he was. You’re not the only one with new lessons to learn. And I look forward to learning them_ together _._

“Heh. Snuggling up against my back and beaming like a little kid… I think we’re past even on the embarrassment scale. Rest up, sunshine. I’ll wake you when we reach the Goblet. And unlike _you_ , I won’t threaten to _tell_ anyone, either. I’m not as mean as you are, y’know.”

His noncommittal mumble of thanks was the last thing I heard from him as his head grew heavy against mine; the stirring pressure at my back settled, undisturbed by all but my heaviest steps. Without our typical banter to fill the silence, I lost myself in the quiet strength of being solely responsible for someone else’s well-being, just as Allaz had before me. How often could I claim that role, knowing how hard Raha had worked to make himself into my equal?

And yet, the inescapable knowledge that we would bear the weight of the many worlds around us together, balancing the heavy loads between us — each of us carrying more than the other sometimes, in moments of weakness or strain — lingered. It was something I’d only seen before between the pages of books, and in the distant faces of my mother and her eldest son, taking on the duties of a man twice his age. I had already made my peace with the understanding that my life was no longer my own, but in that moment, the reality of it could not have been clearer.

_I thought my luck ran out for good on the day my family left this world. But it turns out that things are never as simple as they seem. Even this life… still has room for a little sunshine._

“Hey. Raha. Catboy. Sunshine. Idiot. I… love you. Just so you know.”

My words escaped into the empty air, unwilling to tempt his folded ears — but it didn’t matter whether he’d heard me or not. From the way he’d trusted himself to my care, it was clear that he knew and approved already, and I could think of nothing better than that.

The familiar long ramp and twenty flights of stairs leading to his defeated _door_ loomed ahead, separating us from the comfortable estate bed that my husband had demanded; from the bright future that awaited our first eager steps into its domain.

Soon enough, Eorzea would deign to hand us her problems to solve, her mysteries to explore, and her adventures to brave together. But first, there would be the small matter of celebrating his return to the world of the waking in style — by way of our bed, our sofa, our kitchen counter, and anything else I could find to lay hands on to aid in giving him what he’d _earned_.

Anything else would see me to an early grave.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading _Open Sesame_! Once again, I’m amazed and humbled by all the views and kudos on my spicier works. Prior to WOLExarch, I don’t think I ever saw my writing going in that direction, but I can’t say I regret it. I’m just glad that others are enjoying it, and that the majority of the FFXIV community is as friendly and inclusive as they always are. I’ll keep getting braver for all of you, and to keep doing this pairing justice for as long as I’m able to do so.
> 
> I’m also really happy this is doing well since I took quite a few headcanon liberties with this one regarding the inside of the Crystal Tower and G’raha’s bedchamber. Most writers/fans tend to assume a more Ocular-like or royal aesthetic, but I wanted to lean into the old Allagan stuff a little more for my take on this scene. It’s not the usual fare (or a traditionally romantic setting) but I hope that makes it an interesting read and gets others thinking, if nothing else.
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, comments, questions, and/or kudos are always welcome. And, of course, I hope you’ll consider sticking around for the other stories in _The Crystal Collection_ , or some of my other works as well!
> 
> For more information on my current writing schedule and the other FFXIV stuff I spend my time on, please check out my [Carrd site](https://raphsdesk.carrd.co/) at your convenience.


End file.
